The Buffalo Sabres captain deked everyone, Tampa Bay Lightning defenders and even a camera operator or two, with a beautiful move that led to his second period shorthanded goal on Tuesday.
Eichel picked up a loose puck after Lightning forward Yanni Gourde took a spill and went flying up the right side.
Curtis Lazar hustled up the ice giving the Sabres a 2-on-1 against Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. But Eichel patiently held the puck, dragged it back after getting Shattenkirk to bite on a fake, then pushed it across his body and pitched in a perfect backhand past the still trying to recover Andrei Vasilevsky.
It's hard to blame anyone on the Lightning for falling for Eichel's fake. At least one TV camera, which was in tight on Eichel during the play, qucikly panned away as if he shot the puck well before he actually put it in the net.
